Did you know that Ajith Kumar acted alongside Shah Rukh Khan in 'Asoka'?

There’s no denying that Ajith Kumar is one of the biggest and most sought-after names in Tamil cinema. ‘Thala’, as fans like to call him, is loved by one and all as he is a self-made star in the truest sense. While almost everyone is familiar with his inspiring journey in Kollywood, what not many know is that he has acted in a Hindi film as well. In 2001, the ‘Ultimate Star’ impressed a vast section of the audience with his effective performance in the Shah Rukh Khan starrer Asoka and proved to be a good match for ‘King Khan’.

The film, helmed by ace cinematographer Santosh Siva, revolved around the exploits of the Maurya king Ashoka The Great and highlighted the key events that influenced his life. The magnum opus received rave reviews for the engaging screenplay and top-notch production values. It, however, came under fire for allegedly adding a fictional touch to historical events.

The movie had a stellar cast that included Kareena Kapoor, Danny Denzongpa, Raghubir Yadav and Hrishitaa Bhatt.

After the release of Asoka, Ajith refrained from doing Bollywood movies and focussed on his Kollywood career. He subsequently starred in successful films like Billa (a remake of a Rajinikanth starrer of the same name), Mankatha and Arrambam and proved his mettle. It was, however, the Siva-directed Veeram that established him as a man of the masses.

Ajith was last seen in the Boney Kapoor-backed Nerkonda Paarvai that emerged as a commercial success. The film, a remake of the Hindi hit Pink, featured him in the role of a lawyer and highlighted that ‘no means no’. He will next be seen in Valimai, which marks his second collaboration with the makers of Nerkonda Paarvai. The action-thriller is likely to feature several mass sequences that might do justice to the mass hero’s larger-than-life reel image.

On the other hand, SRK was last seen in Zero that failed to rake in the moolah. He is yet to announce his next movie.